Artist on the rise: Daniel Echo

UNR’s very own Daniel Echo, 21, is on his way to musical success through his smooth, angelic vocals and impressive guitar skills.

On Nov. 29, Echo shared his talent with the Northern Nevada community as a feature of UNR’s Coffee House Series. He performed a series of pop and R&B covers, reflecting on how he identifies his sound and genre as a musician.

In September, the young artist released his debut single, “Night,” featuring Las Vegas native singer and rapper, Gonsin C.R.E.E. Just like many of his other music projects, Echo collaborated with his roommate and best friend, Stanley, to produce and write the song. Elements of pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop could all be heard throughout “Night,” with influences by Bruno Mars and the Weeknd. By integrating the three contrasting genres together, Echo strives to create a unique and diverse sound.

Originally from Indonesia, Echo moved to Carson City, Nevada, where he not only started a new chapter of his life but began to play guitar. His passion for singing sparked in his later teenage years when he discovered his vocal potential. By performing in his church, he gained performance skills and experience.

“I started playing guitar in my church when I was 13, then my freshman year [at UNR] I stopped it for a little bit, and sophomore year I picked it up again,” Echo said. “I started to focus more on singing when I was about 16,17 years old, and performed in church on a weekly basis.”

Echo discovered that he could pursue a career in music during his time studying at the university. Starting as a computer engineering major, he switched to business but decided to pick up a music major instead. As a music vocal major, he learned that he could make a living as a musician, which determined him to find local gigs to perform at.

“I started playing music a couple of years ago up in Lake Tahoe with my friend and booking my own solo gigs,” Echo said. “I thought that it could be something I could do eventually as a job, so I wanted to try it out.”

Recently, Echo found an interest in uploading videos of himself covering songs by other artists onto Youtube. Some of his videos feature local musicians while others are solely of him passionately belting lyrics and displaying his insane vocal techniques. He explains how there was a time when he struggled with believing in himself but is back to busting out videos weekly.

“Two years ago I started to post videos on YouTube, but I stopped because I wasn’t confident and didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Echo said. “But I realized that Youtube is a really good opportunity to get exposure. Last week, I went back to it and posted five videos.”

Echo has combined his business and music sides to create an effective strategy for gaining exposure. He plans to release three singles over a short period of time, leading up to an album.

“Nowadays with the content that we have, it’s important to [release music] frequently,” Echo said. “If you release an album and no one knows who you are, no one is going to listen to it.”

Currently, he is taking a break from his studies to focus on his musical endeavors. “At this age, I want to dedicate a lot of time to music because school has taken up a lot of time,” Echo said. “I may go back to school, but right now I’m all about the music.”

Be sure to keep Echo on your radar. His music can be found on Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, or on his website, danielechomusic.com.